beooks



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

B. J. BROOKS.

LABEL RACK FOR FREIGHT CARS.

Patented June 13, 1882.

WITNESSES By/zv's Afforney.

N. PETERS. Photo-L NIED STATES ATENT EDWARD J. BROOKS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO E. J. BROOKS & (10., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LABEL-RACK FOR FREIGHT-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,472, dated June 13, 1882.

Application filed April 3, 1882.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Label-Racks for Freight-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improved meansfor attaching or holding and displaying the labels or destination-cards of railway freight-cars. Heretofore such cards have commonly been tacked to the doors or sides of cars, defacing the same and materially hastening the destruction of the wood-work by wear and tear. Wooden racks and other holding devices attached to the sides of the cars have been used to a limited extent.

The objects of the present invention are to popularize the use of card-racks or labelracks, as they are herein termed, as a substitute for tacking on destination-cards, and to this end to furnish simple metallic racks adapted to constitute permanent fixtures of freight-cars, and in and of themselves to indicate the railroad or freight-line to which a given car belongs, to receive cards of different sizes and of different thicknesses, .to facilitate applying the cards, to securely retain the same, and to protect them to a sufficient extent against destruction by rain and wind.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of my improved freightcar label-racksin use. Fig. Zrepresents avertical section of the sameinacentral plane. Fig.3 is abottom edge view thereof; and Fig. 4, a partial back view of its main casting, showing the skeleton back hereinafter referred to. Fig. 5 is a face view of another of my said label-racks. Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 6 6, Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a partial vertical section of another, illustrating modifications.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

These freight-car label-racks, in the proposed forms, comprise in each a skeleton face-plate, A, the open-work of which may be and has been made to form by portions 2 thereof the name of a freight-line; or it may be that of a railroad to which the cars belong. In the examples this name is Blue Line. The en- (No model.)

trance to the space behind the face-plate is at top, and is guarded by a self-closing lift or lid, B, which retains the card 0 and keeps snow and dust from behind the card. An ordinary destination-card, G, is shown in position in Figs. 1 and 2, and another in Fig. 5. Close lateral edges y y and a bottom, as, which may or may not be provided with water-escapes 10, with adaptation of the rack to be attached by screws 1: or the like, and adaptation of the lift or lid B to close by gravity without the aid of springs, as hereinafter more partic ularly mentioned, complete those features of each of my said label-racks common to all the proposed forms.

The label-rack represented by Figs. 1 to 4 consists of three light castings, which may be of malleable iron or brass. Two of these are the said face-plate A and lift B. The third, D, hereinbefore termed the main casting, comprises the rack-bottom w and the outer thicknesses of said solid edges y y, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, with a skeleton back, Fig. 4, in which countersunk screw-holes u are formed to receive the attaching-screws n, so that the latter are located behind the card 0. The faceplate A slides vertically into position,-its lateral edges having rearwardly-projectin g spaceflanges, while the said outer thicknesses of the edges y embrace the same, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The socket members a of a pair of stop-hinges by which the lift B is attached are formed on the faces of said edge portions of the casting D at top, and the pintle members b of the same are formed on the outer edge of the lift, as clearly shown in Fig. l. The stop-surfaces of the hinges are so located that when the lift is raised, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, it is arrested in a position which insures its return to its closed position by gravity. A central lug, 0, provides for tilting the lift to raise it, or, in other words, to open the rack for the admission or withdrawal of the card 0. Apermanent card, E, which may preferably be of sheet metal, printed with instructions to freight-agents and car-sealers, may be arranged within the rack at its back, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The modified label-rack represented by Figs. 5 and (i has its close lateral edges y formed by said space-flanges of the face-plate A, and its bottom x in like manner, the socket members a of a pair of stop-hinges being also formed on said face-plate, or attached thereto,

5 jointly with the upper pair of four screw-receiving lugs, t. The pintle members I) of the hinges, with their stops proper, s,and the liftlug c, are formed on the lift B, and the latter operates in the same manner as the one shown in Figs. 1 to 3, as illustrated by full and dotted lines in Fig. 6. In this form the rack is composed of but two parts besides the attaching-screws e, and its construction may in like manner be further modified without departing from my invention. For example, I propose stamping the parts out of sheet metal and bending them into shape in lieu of casting them. The skeleton front of the rack and its close or substantially close bottom and lateral edges, with the gravitatinglift at top, preclude the escape of a destination-card, unless the car to which the rack is attached should become overturned by accident. Fig. 7 illustrates provision against this contingency. With a self-closing lid, B, opening inward, as shown in this figure, the card could not get out should the car be ditched or even thrown bottom upward. In the example a three-part rack, A B D, similar otherwise to the one shown in Figs. 1 to 4, is constructed with properly-arranged hinges h, and stops t'j, and the lid-lift c is made heavy, so as to operate as a counter-weight. The lid B is shown in its two positions by full and dotted lines. Should the rack be inverted, the card 0 would rest on the lid and keep it closed.

Having thus described my said invention, I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent 1. In a label-rack for freight-cars, a skeleton front having the name of the freight-line or railroad to which a given car belongs formed in and constituting a part of said front, substantially as herein specified.

2. A label-rack for freight-cars, having a skeleton front, a close or substantially close bottom, close or substantially close lateral edges, and a self-closing lift or lid at the top, substantially as herein specified.

3. A label-rack for freight-cars, adapted by means of a skeleton back to be attached to a car side by concealed screws, and by means of a skeleton front indicating the freight-line or railroad to which a given car belongs to expose to view a loosely-inclosed destinationcard, substantially as herein specified.

EDWARD J. BROOKS.

Witnesses;

J OHN S. JENNINGS, L. F. HoVEY. 

